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Oakland County deputy shot to death in Detroit
A nine-year veteran of the Oakland County Sheriff's Office was shot and killed Saturday in Detroit while following a vehicle stolen from a Madison Heights waterpark earlier in the day.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Police caught three suspects shortly after an Oakland County Sheriff's deputy was fatally shot Saturday night during a stolen vehicle investigation.
Deputy Bradley Reckling, a nine-year veteran of the force, was part of the office's stolen vehicle unit. They were called in after a 2022 Chevrolet Equinox was stolen from Red Oaks Waterpark in Madison Heights earlier in the day.
Donations to help Reckling's family can be made here.
Reckling was behind the stolen Equinox in the area of Schoenherr and Park Grove streets on Detroit's east side around 10:50 p.m. when the vehicle suddenly stopped and people got out. The suspects started shooting, hitting Reckling in the head and chest. Two other detectives who were nearby in their own vehicles were not hit.
Oakland County deputy killed in Detroit while tracking stolen vehicle
An Oakland County Sheriff's deputy was working to recover a vehicle stolen from Red Oaks Waterpark in Madison Heights when he was killed in Detroit.
"It was an ambush," Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said.
The sheriff said Detroit police and Michigan State Police quickly responded to the area and set up a perimeter to catch three people. The suspects have not been identified.
During a press conference Sunday, Bouchard thanked Detroit police and MSP, adding that DPD Chief James White called him within minutes of the shooting.
White released a statement later in the day, offering condolences to those who knew Reckling, who was a father of three with another child on the way.
The sheriff's office created "Mission Oakland" to raise funds for the family; all proceeds will be donated to them.
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Oakland County Sheriff's Office, community support family of slain deputy
Deputy Bradley Reckling was killed while investigating a stolen vehicle on the night of Saturday, June 13, 2024. The community and the Oakland County Sheriff's Office have rallied around the family as they deal with Reckling's loss.
"It’s crushing. You never anticipate losing a loved one of this magnitude," Bouchard said. "We don’t have a total yet, but what we’re trying to do, obviously, is fill the financial hole that this has created for the family."
The Oakland County Sheriff's Office is even working with various organizations to try and handle the family's mortgage and set aside money for the children, the sheriff said.
The community is also rallying around the family, providing assistance in other ways.
"A landscape company offered to take care of the house for a period of time, to take that burden off," Bouchard said. "We’ve got some different folks that have offered a cooking cycle for the family."
An investigation is ongoing.
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